2003

The latest Democratic drive to make sure President Bush serves just one term takes a page from the effort to oust a Democratic governor in California, calling its web site “bushrecall” and garnering support through petitions.
A new committee called the Fair and Balanced PAC plans to launch its www.bushrecall.org Web site Thursday. The PAC’s founders include Joe Lockhart, a press secretary to former President Clinton, and Mike Lux, a Democratic political consultant.
The Constitution provides no way to recall a president through a ballot initiative, as California voters have a chance to do to Democrat Gray Davis in October.
Instead, the PAC will work to defeat Bush in next year’s election, building lists of supporters through a petition drive and raising money to run ads against the Republican, he said.
“What we hope to do is to remind people that all of the things that are being said about Gray Davis as the reasons for the recall can be applied to George Bush,” Lux said Wednesday. “For example, they say Davis turned big surpluses into deficits in a matter of a couple of years. That’s the same thing that happened with George Bush.”
Source CNN.com.

Six months after the Station nightclub fire killed 100 people in West Warwick, Rhode Island, and injured hundreds more, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the club’s owners nearly $100,000, and Great White, the band whose pyrotechnics ignited the February 20th blaze was fined $7,000.
Station owners Michael and Jeffrey Derderian were cited for one “willful” violation — installing an exit door that opened in — and six “serious,” including covering the walls with flammable foam for soundproofing.
Great White’s guitarist Ty Longley was among those who died in the fire.
Source Rollingstone.com.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers entered a California studio earlier this summer to record two new tracks for an upcoming greatest hits collection. They left with fifteen. “It was the fastest we have ever recorded so much material,” says bassist Flea. “We gave it no thought, we just rocked and it worked well…[it]is among the most diverse and dynamic good-feeling shit we have ever done.”
The still-untitled greatest hits collection is due in November, but no release date has been set for the album of new material.
The Chili Peppers begin the second leg of their North American tour September 6th in Washington D.C.
Source Rollingstone.com.

Metallica will cram into New York’s 500-capacity Bowery Ballroom on Aug. 29 for a show open only to fans who will win tickets from local radio station WXRX (K-Rock). The station will begin distributing tickets Friday (Aug. 22).
As previously reported, Metallica is among the performers set for the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, to be handed out Aug. 28 at Radio City Music Hall. “We’re in town to do the MTV shindig the day before,” drummer Lars Ulrich explained via phone from Dublin. “That’s gonna be so cool. We’re gonna make that floor shake.”
The group plays the U.K.’s Reading and Leeds festivals this weekend and will return to the road beginning Oct. 25 in Buenos Aires. Metallica’s latest Elektra album, “St. Anger,” debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 1.3 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Source Billboard.com.

Back for the fifth year, the Voodoo Music Experience is taking over New Orleans for a record three days, from October 31 to November 2, molding costumes, music and partying. This year marks the expansion of the fest from its normal daylong event to three days.
A firm schedule has yet to be announced, but artists confirmed for sometime during the three-day event include 50 Cent, Marilyn Manson, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Roots, Mos Def, Paul Oakenfold, The Donnas, Felix da HouseCat, String Cheese Incident, ?uestlove, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Gov’t Mule, Better Than Ezra, Disco Biscuits, and Blackalicious.Tickets are available from August 22 through voodoomusicfest.com, and are marked at $80 for three-day passes, which will only be available in advance and not during the festival weekend.
Source Pollstar.com.

Michael Franti and Speahead will launch a fifteen date tour September 5th in San Diego in support of its latest album, Everyone Deserves Music, which was released earlier this summer.
Among the tour dates is a headling gig at the fifth annual 911 Power to the Peaceful Festival, a free concert and rally set for September 6th in San Francisco.
Also set for release is a retail release of Songs From the Front Porch, an acoustic album, the band has been selling on their website.

Kings of Leon will tour this fall to support their debut album, Youth and Young Manhood. The tour begins September 4th and runs through October 4th in Denver. The band, comprised of the Followill relatives: Nathan, Caleb, Jared, and Matthew are bringing their Southern evangelical sound that has gained critics and fans praises. The band has is wrapping up a spot on this years Lollapalooza tour.
Source and dates, visit Rollingstone.ocm.

The University of Colorado topped the list of party schools in the nation, while Brigham Young University was “stone-cold sober,” according to the Princeton Review’s latest survey.
The “Best 351 Colleges” survey, based on responses from more than 100,000 students at U.S. campuses, ranks colleges in such categories as “most religious students,” “most beautiful campus” and “best campus food.” The review, which has no affiliation with Princeton University, has been conducting the study since 1992.
Despite a six-year effort to curb binge drinking at the University of Colorado, the school ranked third in widespread use of marijuana, fourth in the prevalence of hard liquor consumption and 11th in the prevalence of beer usage, Princeton Review reported in its 2004 findings. CU also ranked first among schools where students study the least.
Other top 10 party schools included the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Indiana University, Bloomington; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia; University of Texas-Austin; The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee; DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana; Saint Bonaventure University, Olean, New York; and the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Source CNN.com.

Galactic has announced plans a lengthy fall tour in support of its new album, Ruckus that is due out October 7. Produced by Dan the Automater, Ruckus is said to push the Galactic sound into a more song oriented approach. The tour includes stops all over the continental U.S. For list of tour dates visit Galactic.com .

Hank Azaria has earned this year’s Primetime Emmy Award for animation voice-over performance for his work on Fox’s “The Simpsons.”
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced Monday winners of The 55th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in selected animation categories that are so-called juried awards. Juried awards do not have nominations, and there may be more than one winner in each category judged by members of ATAS’ animation peer group.
Azaria was recognized for his work in the “Moe Baby Blues” episode of the long-running Fox comedy. The win marks Azaria’s fourth career Emmy, following wins in the animation voice-over category for “The Simpsons” in 1998 and 2001.
In 2000, Azaria won the longform supporting actor award for his work opposite Jack Lemmon in ABC’s “Oprah Winfrey Presents: Tuesdays With Morrie.” Azaria also is up for guest actor in a comedy honors this year for his guest shot on NBC’s “Friends.”
Source CNN.com.